Flume construction.



J'. H. MARTIN.

v FLUME CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1912.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

WITNESSES A 92M JAMES H. MARTIN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

FLUME GONS'I'RUCTION.

Original application filed November 22, 1911, Serial No. 661,662.

Serial No. 591,844.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912;. Divided and this application filed April To allwhom it may, concern;

Be it known that I, JAMES H. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Springfield, in the county of Greene and State oflilissouri, have made certain new and useful Improvements in FlumeConstruction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in iiume construction, and has for itsobject the provision of a simple, inexpensive, easily operated device ofthe character specified, especially adapted for use with current motorsof the character shown and described in my copending application SerialNo.

661,662, filed Nov. 22, 1911, of which the present case is a division,wherein a support is provided for the motor and in addition means forconcentrating the current on the waves of the motor, and wherein meansis provided for cutting off the current partly or entirely from themotor, and for fending drift or the like that might strike and injurethe motor.

In the drawings: Figure l is a plan View of the improvement, Fig. 2 is alo-ngitudi nal vertical section and Fig. 3 is a partial side view of oneof the gates.

The present embodiment of the invention comprises a pair of parallel,laterally spaced floats or buoys 1 and 2, connected at their rear endsby cross bar 3, and at their front ends by a plate 4t. The cross bar 3is arranged below the Water level, and is seecured to the buoys by bolts5 or the like. The buoys, in the present instance are hollow floats,rectangular in cross section, and each buoy has a plurality of bearings6 on its upper face, for supporting the shafts of the motor, (notshown). The front ends of the buoys are beveled at their outer cornor,as indicated at 7, and the plate a is secured to the upper faces of thebuoys.

The ends of the plate are beveled, as shown in Fig. 1, to fit the buoys,and a gate 8-8 is hinged to the front end of each of the said buoys.Each of the gates is a plate of a width equal approximately to the depthof the buoy, and of such length that when the free ends of the gates arein contact, the gates will stand at approximately a right angle to eachother. Each gate is connected to one of the buoys, by means of hinges 9,and a shaft or red 10 is rigidly connected to each of the gates, so thatwhen l l l l r the rod is oscillated the gate will be swung therewith.The shafts 10 are the pivots connecting the leaves of the hinges, andeach shaft has an angular arm 1.1 at its upper end. An arm 12 isconnected to each shaft, each arm having a bearing 13 at one endengaging the shaft, and held fixed thereon by a set screw 1%. The otherend of each arm is provided with a bearing sleeve 15, in which ismovable a pin 16. The adjacent end of the plate a provided with a seriesof openings 17, and each series is arranged in an are, having its centerat the adjacent shaft. One of the gates 8 is provided with a transverserib 1.8 at its free end, for en gaging outside of the free edge of thegate 8, when the gates are closed.

In use, the gates may be swung by means of the angular arms or handles11 on the shafts, and may be held in fixed position by means of the pins16. The pin is lifted to disengage it from the openings, after which theshaft may be freely oscillated. The gates may be swung into the dottedline position of Fig. 1, and when in this position they act to deflectthe water i.n wardly, to make a stronger fuller current. They may occupya position more nearly parallel to the long axis of the Boat, and may bepartially closed to fend drift. li hen it is desired to stop theoperation of the motor, the gates may he moved into the full lineposition of Fig. 1. In this position the passage between the floats orbuoys is closed, and the current is cut off from the motor. The floatsmay be anchored in any suitable manner.

I claim 1. A flume construction comprisingspaced floats arrangedalongside each other in parallel relation, a cross bar connecting thefloats at their rear ends, a plate connecting the front ends of thefloats and secured to the upper faces thereof, each float having itsfront end beveled at its outer side, a gate hinged to the front end ofeach float, said gates being of a width approximately equal to theheight of the floats and being of a length greater than one half thedistance between the floats so that when the outer ends of the gates arein contact said gates will stand at approximately a right angle to eachother, a shaft rigid with each gate at the hinge connection, each shaftex tending above the float and having an run gular handle at its upperend, a radial arm on each shaft adjacent to the float, each arm having avertical bearing sleeve at its outer end, and a pin slidable in eachsleeve, each float having an arc-shaped series of openings forengagement by the pin of the adjacent arm to hold the gate in adjustedposition, one of the gates having a transverse rib at its outer endfitting outside the end of the other gate when said gates are closed.

2. A flume construction comprising spaced floats arranged alongside eachother in parallel relation, a rigid connection between the floats, agate hinged to the front end of each float, said gates being of a widthapproximately equal to the height of the floats and being of a lengthgreater than one half the distance between the floats so that when theouter ends of the gates are in contact said gates will stand atapproximately a right angle to each other, a shaft rigid with each gateat the hinge connection, each shaft extending above the float and havingan angular handle at its upper end, a radial arm on each shaft adjacentto the float, each arm having a vertical hear ing sleeve at its outerend, and a pin slidable in each sleeve, each float having an arc-shapedseries of openings for engagement by the pin of the adjacent arm to holdthe gate in adjusted position.

3. A flume construction comprising spaced floats arranged alongside eachother in parallel relation, a rigid connection between the floats, agate hinged to the front end of each float, said gates being of a widthapproximately equal to the height of the floats and being of a lengthgreater than one half the distance bet-ween the floats so that when theouter ends of the gates are in contact said gates will stand atapproximately a right angle to each other, and a shaft rigid with eachgate at the hinge connection, each shaft extending above the float andhaving an angular handle at its upper end.

a. A flume construction comprising laterally spaced rigidly connectedfloats forming a passage between the same, a gate hinged to the frontend of each float, said gates being of greater aggregate length than thedistance between the floats to form a peak in front of the flume whenthe gates are closed, a shaft rigid with each gate at its hingedconnection, each shaft extending above the float and having an angularhandle at its upper end, and means for locking each gate in adjustedposition, one of the gates having a transverse stop fitting outside theend of the other gate when the gates are closed.

5. A flume construction comprising later ally spaced rigidly connectedfloats forming a passage between the same, a gate hinged to the frontend of each float, said gates being of greater aggregate length than thedistance between the floats to form a peak in front of the flume whenthe gates are closed, a shaft rigid with each gate at its hingedconnection, each shaft extending above the float and having an angularhandle at its upper end, and means for locking each gate in adjustedposition.

6. A flume construction comprising laterally spaced rigidly connectedfloats forming a passage between the same, a gate hinged to the frontend of each gates being of greater aggregate length than the distancebetween the floats to form a peak in front of the flume when the gatesare closed, a shaft rigid with each gate at its hinged connection, forswinging the gate, and means for locking each gate in adjusted position.1

JAE/ ES H. MARTIN. Witnesses:

WILLIAM G. Mnanon, ELI BOWMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. G.

